Press Releases

City of Birmingham Department of Public Works Rolls out Grass Cutting Plan During Tuesday’s Birmingham City Council Meeting

PRESS RELEASE Tuesday May 8, 2018

Contact: Chiara Perry

Phone: 205-254-2055

Cell: 205-383-8432

chiara.perry@birminghamal.gov

BIRMINGHAM, AL— As the summer approaches and the grass begins growing taller, the City of Birmingham is taking a new approach to keep city-owned properties mowed.

On Tuesday, Al Menifield, Director of the Public Works Department, announced that the city will no longer begin mowing lots on one side of the city and slowly make their way to the other, a cycle that he said takes 32 weeks to complete.

Rather, Birmingham will be divided into quadrants and work will be divided between various groups within the Public Works Department who will be assigned to a specific zone. Other cities, such as Memphis, have utilized this approach in recent years and have seen an increase in the number of lots that can be mowed.

“We decided to divide the city into four parts, south, west, east and north,” Menifield said on Tuesday. “Our workers who are assigned to a specific zone will stay in their areas. They have an assigned number of neighborhoods they serve. It will help with customer service and it will help keep us accountable. We will do a better job and this process will allow us to get around more frequently. It will take us about 12 weeks to complete a cycle now.”

Menifield continued by saying he hopes to “change the culture and let people know [the city] cares about their neighborhood.”

The breakdown of the four grass-cutting zones are as follows:

NORTH – Four Communities: Smithfield, North Birmingham, Northside, East Birmingham

Each section will be on a 12-week rotation with the mowing schedule, as opposed to 32 weeks, drastically increasing the number of lots that will be cut each year.

“I can tell a definite difference since we took office,” said Councilor Hunter Williams. “[Public Works] responsiveness has been noticed by citizens. I get more compliments than I initially got six months ago for the grass that’s been cut. Your staff has done a good job since I’ve been here.”

This press release is contribution from Cody Owens in the Birmingham City Council Public Information Office. For media inquiries please contact Birmingham City Council Interim Director of Public Information Officer Chiara Perry at 205.383.8432.